By Mark Wilmoth

Did you ever wonder why Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13, NIV)? Why should that prayer be necessary? After all, why would a holy God who does not want his children to sin ever lead them into temptation? Besides, doesn’t James 1:13-14 say “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”

Part of the problem in understanding this passage rests in translation. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, Matthew wrote in Greek, and we read in English. In this instance, “temptation” might better be translated “testing.” God doesn’t tempt us and He certainly doesn’t lead us into sin, but God does “test” us. Genesis 22:1 reads, “Some time later God tested Abraham…” Teachers give tests. When students pass the tests, they gain confidence, but even if students fail the tests, they learn from their failures. In the same way God tests us to help us learn and grow. That’s why James 1:2 tells us that we should “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Understood that way, Jesus’ words become a prayer of humility. Recognizing our own weakness, our susceptibility, we pray, “Lord, don’t let me get in over my head. Help me to recognize the tests and be up to the challenge.”

In his book, The Me I Want To Be, John Ortberg tells about learning to fly fish with his wife. The instructor told them, “To fly fish successfully, you need to think like a fish. See a fly, want a fly, catch a fly.” Later, enjoying the fishing, Ortberg wondered, “Does the fish not see the hook? Doesn’t the fish notice that his friends go after that fly and suddenly they’re gone and they don’t come back?” Ortberg concluded that fish aren’t too smart: “See a fly, want a fly, catch a fly.”

Too often, humans share that ignorance. A married man sees an attractive woman. He doesn’t stop to consider the pain he’s going to bring to the spouse to whom he promised his loyalty. He doesn’t think about the upheaval his kids could face or the damage to his reputation and witness. He never weighs the expense that comes with divorce or the devastation he will cause to his spiritual life. He only sees a pretty lady. See a fly, want a fly, catch a fly.

What about our pursuit of wealth – a more “comfortable” lifestyle? Sure, there’s some overtime involved, but being able to give the spouse and kids a better standard of living, and having a more secure retirement, it’s worth it, isn’t it? Greedy folks don’t usually contemplate what they’re missing while they work those extra hours – the ballgames, dinners at home and memories they could make and share, the moments in life that, when missed, can never be recovered. And that money, well, no matter how much you accumulate, the day will come when you leave it all behind. Hearses don’t pull trailers. See a fly, want a fly, catch a fly.

Think about addictions, the acceptable ones as well as the ones that society frowns on. What makes someone a compulsive shopper? Why risk prison for fentanyl? Why don’t I leave the table a little sooner instead of stuffing myself into discomfort? See a fly, want a fly, catch a fly; forget about the hook.

But there’s always a hook! So when we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” what we’re really asking is that God show us the hook. “Lord, please don’t allow us to be so captivated by something (or someone) so bright and shiny and fun that we forget to look for the hook!” No one likes to confess weakness, but it’s self-defeating not to own up to our weaknesses and realize that the Devil is smart enough to exploit those vulnerabilities. So our prayer of weakness and humility sounds a lot like, “Lord, please help us to acknowledge our weaknesses and recognize the devastation that compromise will bring. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church, Marietta and can be reached at Minister@PinehurstChristianChurch.org